Infinity #1 hit hard this month, and the effects reach across the Marvel U – and straight into Avengers Assemble. In this week’s #18, series writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and guest artist Barry Kitson put Spider-Woman and Black Widow in a spaceship and point them straight towards the impending doom of the Builders fleet which threatens to wipe out the Earth.

DeConnick has been taking this team of Avengers and pushing them to their limits since she took over Avengers Assemble back in November from Brian Michael Bendis. With Avengers Assemble #18 on the stands and the second-half of this Infinity tie-in, so we caught up with Kelly Sue right in the mix of things to find out what’s going on and what’s coming next.

Newsarama: These two issues of Avengers Assemble tie-in with the over-arching Infinity event – how does these puzzle pieces all fit together, Kelly Sue?

Kelly Sue DeConnick: This about one event blown apart and examined Matrix bullet-time style. The main event is in Infinity, and the two tie-ins -- the Avengers Assemble tie-in and the Captain Marvel tie-in, expand on that event from the perspectives of Spider-Woman and Captain Marvel, respectively.

Nrama: In this week’s Avengers Assemble #18, we saw Spider-Woman tagging with Black Widow. They’ve had their moments in the past with Hawkeye, but how’d you come about choosing them individually – and as a duo – to be the viewpoint of these issues?

DeConnick: It's really more Spider-Woman's story than Black Widow's, but as it happens, Spider-Woman and the Black Widow are in one ship and Captain Marvel and Hawkeye in another when the business goes down. The pairings were really decided for me, but they make a lot of sense.

Nrama: They’re all going up against the seemingly undefeated (and undefeatable) Builder fleet. What exactly are they up against?

Nrama: Just in case we haven’t hit upon this enough already – this whole thing takes place in space. For space battles, Jessica and Natasha don’t really jump out at me as the first choices here – how are they working here?

DeConnick: They're not classically cosmic characters, it's true, but this ain't their first rodeo. They've got all the equipment they need.

Nrama: Both Jessica and Natasha are no stranger to these major event battles, but for Spider-Woman I feel like this hits especially close to home for her – considering the events of Secret Invasion and her own Spider-Woman series from awhile back dealing with Skrulls. Where’s her head at in this?

DeConnick: JACKED UP.

As is her way.

Nrama: Jacked up as she is, do her and Black Widow have any back-up?

DeConnick: Shang-Chi and Manifold are also part of the team.

Nrama: Acting as the Black Widow to your Spider-Woman (or vice versa) is artist Barry Kitson. Kitson seems like an opportune choice here given his past work (especially his run on Legion of Super-Heroes). What made him the guy you and the Avengers Assemble editors went to do these two pivotal issues?

DeConnick: He's a consummate pro? I knew him from his work on The Order with Matt Fraction and he did some amazing Thor stuff too. When Lauren suggested him, I jumped at the chance.

Nrama: After these two issues you're taking a break from Avengers Assemble for a bit until November's #21. Can you describe the temporary absence, and what you have planned when you come back with Matteo Buffagni in November?

DeConnick: Al Ewing will step in while I'm gone with one other Infinity tie-in, then Matteo and I will be back in Avengers Assemble #21 with a who’s who of Avengers heavy hitters and will guest star Spider-Girl.